Preheating device for starting internal-combustion engines



March 3,1953 R. L. a'u'rrs 2,630,106

PREHEATING DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 26. 1950 e Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. ROBERT]. .BUTTS M ATTORNEYS March 3, 1953 Filed June 26, 1950 R. L. BUTTS PREHEATING 'DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. ROBERT L.Bl/TT6 WMW A -roe/vs 1 5 March 3, 1953 R. Bu'rrs PREHEATING DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 26. 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. EOBERT L Burrs WWW ATTOFNEYJ March 3, 1953 1 u-rrs 2,630,106

PREHEATING DEVICE. FOR STARTING INTERNAL-CQMBUSTIQN ENGINES Filed June 26. 1950 6 Sheets-Shea 4 INVEN TOR. ROBERT L .Burrs March 3, 1953 R. L. BUTTS 2,630,106

PREHEATING DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 26, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 F/all IN VEN TOR. Ease/e7 L Burrs ATTaRA/E Y: 4

March 3, 1953 R. L. BUTTS 2,630,106

PREHEATING DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES IN V EN TOR. EOBEETL Burrs 5M, wwwm AI'TORNE Y8 Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PREHEATING DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Robert L. Butts, Minneapolis, Minn assignor to Wm. BrosBoiler & Manufacturing 00., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota. Application June'26, 1950, SerialNo. 170,43?

15 Claims. (01. 1234 525) This invention relates to engine starting devices and is particularly directed to engine starting devices for initiating the operation of automotive and other internal combustion engine equipment at exceedingly low temperatures, such as 50 F. to -70 F. In the operation of internal combustionengines in regions where climatic cold ranges from 25 below zero downwards, the starting of internal combustion or automotive engine equipment. is accompanied by extreme difficulty, due to the fact that the oil in the engine will oongeal. to solid consistency, thus defying turning over the engine, even though great amounts of power are applied to the starting crank or through a starting engine. Yet, the use of internal combustion engine equipment is required under such extremely cold climatic conditions and heretofore starting has been ac complished only by make-shift methods and with great difficulty. In some of the prior methods the oil was systematically drained from the internal combustion engine while still warm and removed to a house or building where the oil could be kept warm untilthe next starting operation was to be accomplished, whereupon the warm oil was heated and re-introduced into the engine and in this way the engine heated enough so as to permit starting. .In otherinstances, such as the starting of diesel equipment during the building of the Alcan Highway and on other arctic jobs, the crews have simply built small fires under the crankcase of the equipment, thus heating the equipment sofiiciently so as to permit a start. These methods are cumbersome, costly and dangerous.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heating system for starting internal combustion engines under conditions of extreme cold.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved cold weather starting system for internal combustion engines.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in conjunction with a main internal combustion engine having a smaller internal combustion engine for starting the same, a heating system for initially heating the internal combustion engine and for use when started to help heat and start the main engine with or without direct heating of themain engine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a heating system for internal combustion engines utilizing radiated and circulated heat;

It is another object ofthe invention to provide a compact and efiicient heat exchange system in 2 conjunction-with an internal combustion engine so as to permit the rapid warm-up and starting of the engine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means in conjunction with internal combustion engines for warming up the power transmission belts of such engines and equipment prior to the time when the engine is started so as to re duoe belt breakage. V r

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved internal combustion engine starting system whereby not only the crankcase but also the circulating coolant oi the internal combustion engine may be rapidly heated priorto starting.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved gasto liquid heat exchanger and improved construction thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide in an automotive internal combustion engine system animprovedpreheating water circulating system.

It is a further objectof this invention to provide an improved heating means wherein the combustion chamber of the improved heating means is of such configurationas to produce a static pressure which forces the hot burner gases of the improved heating means through the heat exchanging apparatus ntegmi therewith. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide an internal combustion engine starting system wherein improved means are provided to shut off a portion of the coolant of the internal combustionengine and to heat only a portion of said coolant.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in conjunction with a main internal combustion engine having a smaller internal combustion engine for starting the same, a heating system wherein merino-siphon circulation of the coolant is providedp-rior to the starting of the smaller engine, and pumping circulation of the heated coolant is provided after the smaller engine is started. v H V It is a further object ofthis' invention to provide-an internal combustion engine starting system wherein a counterflow of combustion gases and coolant is provided so as to effect efficient heat transference.

are those inherent in the apparatus herein illustrated; described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of an automotive truck provided at its forward end with a snow plow which is driven by a separate internal combustion engine mounted on the truck chassis;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the separate internal combustion engine power plant of the device shown in Figure 1, together with the preheating arrangements thereof, which are also shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the truck engine of Figure 1, together with its preheating circulating system;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view corresponding to Figure 3 of the truck automotive engine preheating circulating system;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the heat exchanger used in connection with the separate power plant shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken in the direction of arrows ll of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing the heat producing unit of the automotive engine heating system of Figures 1, 3 and t;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an end elevational view talzen in z the direction of arrows iii-Hi of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows H--Il of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of arrows l2--l2 of Figure 9;

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view of the belt preheating portion of the'apparatus taken along the line and in the direction of arrows l3l3 of Figure 2.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary verticai sectional view of the thermostatically controlled valve mechanism in the engine cooling fluid circuit.

Referring to Figure 1 there is illustrated an automotive vehicle or truck generally designated l having an engine space H, housing an engine 40, radiator l2, operator cab 13 and load-carrying chassis it. The truck also includes steerablefront wheels 55 and i tandem rear driving wheels l6. Upon the truck there is mounted a snow plow unit generally designated S which is attached to the truck by means of pusher beams ll fastened to the vertical sub-frame 18. The plow is arranged with usual controls .19 and 29 so as to permit it to be raised or lowered and includes a rotary rake 22 and rotary snow impelling units 23 which are driven by drive shaft 24 through universal joints 25, shaft 26, universal joint 21, shaft 23 and universal joint 29 from a multiple V-belt power pulley 30 whichis mounted upon the framework 3! beneath the truck load-carrying frame I4. Pulley 3B is driven through belts 39 on pulley 38 of engine 36 as hereinafter described in detail. The snow plow S, its connection to the truck and the details of construction, per se, form no part of the present invention and are mentioned herein as being merely illustrative of types of loads which are frequently used in arctic operations. The truck [0 having engine 46 and snow plow S having engine 36 are thus merely illustrative of types of internal combustion engine equipment to which the instant invention is applied. The present invention is, of course, applicable to any of a wide variety of internal combustion engines.

As a part of the snow plow unit there is supplied an internal combustion engine power plant generally designated 35 which has a very large horsepower engine 36 operating through the clutch 3? to a multiple V-belt power take-01f pulley 38 which is connected by a plurality oi V-belts 39 to the driven pulley 35, which, as explained, is connected through a universal jointed drive shaft to the load-consuming equipment, which in this case is illustrated by the snow plow S.

The problem in this exemplary equipment is not only to start the automotive truck engine i l, but also the auxiliary power plant 35.

Attention is first directed to the automotive truck engine which is shown somewhat in detail in Figure 3. The engine til is provided with a cooling fan M for normal operation and with a radiator i2 through which circulation is normally accomplished by means of upper hose connection 43 which extends to the cross fiow radiator [2 from which the cooled coolant fluid returns by way of the lower hose connection 44 to the valve t5 which constitutes a part of the present invention. In the present instance there is provided a running board mounted heater unit generally designated 58 which serves to heat the automotive engine 49 and its starting battery. In this instance the engine Gil is started by an electric starter motor of usual type. Referring to Figures 8-12 there is illustrated one form of heat exchange unit of the present invention. In this unit there is provided a conical double walled chamber 5i having a Venturi nozzle section 52 into which the blast from burner 53 is directed (Figures 1, 3 and 4), the burner being mounted upon pad 54 which is an extension of the running board 55. At the forward or enlarged endrof the double wall conical chamber 59 there is a tubular heat exchanger section generally designated 56 having a header portion at 5! and a divided header portion 5859. A bank of tubes 68 extends across horizontally from the header 5'! to the headers 53 and 5%, the first three vertical lines of tubes shown over the bracket 6! in Figure 9 being connected from header 5? to the header 58 and the last three vertical lines of tubes {52 being connected from header 5'? to the header 5%. It will be noted that the water inlet connection is provided at 64, which extends to the valve 45. The cold coolant fluid thus enters the header 58 and flows across the bank 6! of tube (56 and into the header 5?, whence the flow returns into the bank 62 of tubes, as indicated by the arrow 65, whence the how continues to the header 59. From the header 59 the flow continues through the connection 66 to an inlet flange 6? through which the fluid, which is thus partially heated, enters between the double walls of portion 5| of the heater, the flow being indicated by the arrow 68. The double walls 5! are divided vertically by the fin til-459, as shown in Figure 11, and hence the incoming fluid entering through connection 61, as indicated by arrow 68, flows first rearwardly through that portion of the double walled chamber which is nearest the truck, as indicated by the arrow 10. The dividmg walls 69-69 extend only partially throughout aceaioe radiated to the crankcase of the motor 35 and heats the lubricating oil within the crankcase of the motor 33. In the meantime the tubular heat exchanger 81 and the jacketed portion of the heat exchanger 88 causes the fluid in the fluid circuits previously described to become heated and flow occurs due to thermosiphon action from the hot fluid outlet 9i oi the heat exchanger 85 through the T 92 and pipe 93 to what is normally the cooling fluid outlet of the starting engine 8i} and thence through the jackets of the starting engine to what is normally the inlet es of the starting engine 89 and thence through pipe 95 to header 9% and to the inlet of the heat exchanger 85. At the same time there is a small but not very substantial now through the circuit composed of pipe d8, inlet 99, to centrifugal pump iii-2, outlet it! of the centrifugal pump and pipe wt to the header I93 of the large engine 36 and thence via the return pipes from the large engine to the header 9E and thence to the heat exchanger 85. The flow through this latter circuit is not very large d e to the impediment caused by the centrifugal pump iiiil which at that time is not working. After the starting engine has been heated, and this occurs very quickly due to the heat output or" the heater 535, as ap plied to the relatively small engine 353, the engine 88 can be started by hand cranking by means of the hand crank it. The engine 86 then starts but at this time the engine 35} is not clutched in so as to start the large engine 36, but merely drives the centrifugal pump 589. The operation of the centrifugal pump causes a negative pressure to be drawn on the T 92 and hence flow is pulled reversely through the engine til, the flow entering the pipe Qii and inlet 9:? and thence passing through the engine 83 to outlet 93 and T 92. At the same time how is drawn from the heat exchanger 85 through outlet S! to the T 92. The flows thus combined at T as are drawn through pipe 98 into the inlet 99 of the centrifugal pump 2% and are delivered as a full flow to the pipe Hi2 which is circulated by the pump ififi through the water jacket of the large engine 35 whence they are returned via pipes H3 2 to the header 28. In this way the small engine 3!: which is operating acts to augment the heat delivered by the heating machine 85. After a matter of ten minutes or so the large engine 323 will have been warmed sufficiently by the circulated heated coolant fluid so as to permit its starting, it being remembered that in the meantime the radiated heat from the top let of the heater 85 has caused considerable warming of the lubricating oil in the crankcase of the large engine Bil. The clutch it}? of starting engine Se is then moved to engaging position and the small starting engine as starts the large engine 35 which then commences normal operation. In the meantime the belts 33 have been warmed sufficiently so that they are not cracked when the large engine 38 is started and its clutch engaged. The burner 99 is then turned ofi and the small engine 88 is likewise stopped, the flow through the large engine 36 and its radiation 8! being then controlled by the normal coolant circulating pump.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein.

What I claim is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising 'a double walled enclosure, having an inlet thereinto for the introduction of hot combustion gases, an outlet therefrom comprising a duct having heat exchange tubes extending thereacross, headers for said tubes connected thereto so as to permit flow across a bank of said tubes most removed from the inlet of hot combustion gases and thence across another bank of tubes nearer the inlet of hot combustion gases, and thence into the double walled enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said tubes are provided with fins, extending across the tube banks, said fins being apertured and flanged so as to permit the tubes to extend therethrough, the tubes being expanded into tight thermal contact with the fin and flanges at each aperture.

3. The apparatus or" claim 1 further characterized in that a wall is divided longitudinally along the double walled chamber from the tube to a position closely adjacent the inlet for hot combustion gases.

i. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the double walled enclosure has a single walled portion forming a heat radiating surface for radiating heat in one direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that the inlet is of the Venturi type.

6. The apparatus of claim further characterized in that the headers connected to the tubes permit a flow across a bank of said tubes most removed from the inlet of the hot combustion gases, and thence across another bank of tubes nearer the inlet of the hot combustion gases, and thence back across another bank of tubes nearer the inlet of the hot combustion gases, and thence into the double walled enclosure.

'7. A. heat exchanger comprising a double walled enclosure, having a Venturi inlet thereinto for the introduction of hot combustion gases, an outlet therefrom comprising a duct having heat exchange tubes extending thereacross, said heat exchanging tubes provided with fine, extending across the tube banks, said fins being apertured and flanged so as to permit the tubes to extend therethrough, the tubes being expanded into tight thermal contact with the fins and flanges at each aperture, headers for said tubes connected thereto so as to permit flow across a bank of said tubes most removed from the inlet of hot combustion gases and thence across another bank of tubes nearer the inlet of hot combustion gases, and thence into the double walled enclosure, said double walled enclosure being provided with a longitudinal partition extending from the tube banks to a position closely adjacent the inlet for the hot combustion gases.

8. A system for starting liquid cooled internal combustion engines having liquid fiow jackets therein provided with an inlet and outlet and a crankcase at the bottom for containing lubricating oil, comprising in combination therewith a combustion burner for delivering hot gases, a jacketed heat exchanger for receiving the hot gases delivered by said burner, said heat exchanger being physically positioned beneath the crankcase ci' said engine, said heat exchanger comprising a fluid jacket for passage of fluid to be heated therethrough having a heated fluid outlet and an inlet, said heat exchanger being connected in fluid circulating relation to said engine, the heat exchanger also having a single wall which is heated to heat radiating temperatures, said wall being the upper surface of said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being positioned so as to radiate heat from said upper wall to said motor crankcase.

9. A preheating system for an interanl combustion engine having liquid containing cooling jackets provided with an inlet and an outlet, a radiator for the engine having an inlet and an outlet connected in liquid circulating relationship to said engine cooling jacket outlet and inlet, respectively for normally cooling the engine, comprising a heater having a fluid heating jacket therein, fluid conduits connecting said heating jacket in fluid circulating relationship to the outlet of the engine and also to the inlet of the engine, and a temperature operated valve at said inlet of the engine and for closing off the cooling fluid circulating path between the engine and radiator until the engine temperature is raised to operating temperature, and then opening said connection between the inlet of the engine and the radiator and closing the connection between the inlet of the engine and the fluid heating jacket.

10. The system of claim 9 further characterized in that said engine is provided with a flexible belt power delivery drive, a casing around said power delivery drive and means for delivering heat at low temperatures, after passing through said heat exchanger, to said enclosure around said belt means.

11. A motor starting system for large liquid cooled internal combustion main engines comprising, in combination with said main engine, a starting engine, a burner, a heat exchange means connected to the burner for passage of heating gases therethrough for heating liquid, fluid connections between said heat exchange means and main and starting engines for circulating liquid to and from the heat exchange means and main and starting engines, a circulating pump connected to said starting engine to be driven thereby, said pump being connected in fluid circuit between the heat exchange means and main enme.

12. A motor starting system for large liquid cooled internal combustion main engines comprising, in combination with said main engine, a starting engine, a burner, a heat exchange means connected to the burner for passage of heating gases therethrough for heating liquid, fluid con-- nections between said heat exchange means and main and starting engines, for circulating liquid to and from the heat exchange means and main and starting engine so that substantially all the heated liquid from the heat exchange means is circulated by thermo-siphon circulation through the starting engine until said starting engine is started, and means whereby the how of the heated liquid from the heat exchange means is then diverted to circulate through the main engine, and is augmented by the flow of heated liquid from the outlet of the starting engine.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the means for diverting the flow of heated liquid from the starting engine to the main engine after the starting engine is started is a circulating pump.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the heat exchange means is situated below the main engine and has a heat radiating surface for radiating heat to the main engine crankcase.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that said main engine is provided with a flexible belt power drive connection, an enclosure around said belt, and heat duct work means connecting said enclosure and heat exchange means for delivering heat to said enclosure.

ROBERT L. BUTTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,015,145 Davis Jan. 16, 1912 1,199,115 Rohan Sept. 26, 1916 1,236,416 Fink Aug. 14, 1917 1,316,021 Doble Sept. 16, 1921 1,460,668 Good July 3, 1923 1,637,596 Turner Aug. 2, 1927 1,769,994 Hendryx July 8, 1930 2,224,544 Keller Dec. 10, 1940 2,399,941 Resek May 7, 1946 2,399,942 Resek May 7, 1946 

